Former House Speaker and Donald Trump loyalist Newt Gingrich explained why Rex Tillerson is qualified to be the next secretary of state: He's already accomplished more than his last two predecessors. Gingrich made the case for the Exxon Mobil CEO at Washington, D.C.'s Heritage Foundation on Wednesday.
.@newtgingrich says Rex Tillerson "has a huge problem..." pic.twitter.com/xSToErRUcz
— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) December 14, 2016
"Tillerson actually has gone around the world negotiating agreements with foreign countries - successfully, for American companies," Gingrich explained. "Now if you're John Kerry or Hillary Clinton or the entire State Department and your entire career has been one of going around the world unsuccessfully negotiating non-agreements, Tillerson is horrifying to you. I mean what if he actually represents America?"
Former presidential candidate Carly Fiorina is likely to agree with Gingrich's assessment. During the 2016 campaign, she continually reminded Hillary Clinton that "flying is not an accomplishment."
Tillerson continues to face animosity from media who say he can't do the job properly because he has no government experience. Did they forget who their new president is? Lawmakers say he is too close to Russia's Vladimir Putin. Yet, Gingrich is correct in noting that Tillerson knows how to strike deals and has learned diplomacy representing Exxon around the globe.